Report: More Brits gamble online than use Facebook

[The Buzz]

Nielson Media Research is reporting that 3.2 million people visited online gambling sites in the United Kingdom in 2009. That's roughly one million more Brits than used Facebook or other social networking sites.

Gaming Zion has a story about the findings:

While gambling is on the rise among both men and women, the most online growth is seen among high-earning households who have the most discretionary and disposable income, middle aged men who may be looking for a new start in life, and the well-educated (whose presence on this list can’t be so easily explained by pop psychology).

This demographic surprises Neilson’s Neil Beston who observed that since the start of internet gambling in 1995, online gamblers had either had lower incomes or been nearing the end of their lifespans.

[Tower_Stuart]

That's really quite interesting, especially because I would have thought Facebook users in the UK would be a much, much larger number.

[Anthony]

I am quite surprised by this, more than facebook or other social networking sites. Wow

[davenewgates]

I am quite surprised with the survey results. However, online gambling is legislated in the UK. Thus in my opinion, it is just natural for the numbers to be that high. But I had never imagined it to be higher than those who access social network sites particularly Facebook.

[cass]

One would have thought that the UK has reached its ceiling with regard to online gambling, if the latter is more popular than Facebook, it is indeed a sign of good things to come!

Cass,

Internet casinos

[brean78]

This article has taken a report by Nielson and twisted it somewhat. The actual report it is referring to, which came out last month, was that online gambling in the UK is growing faster than social networking sites like facebook.

http://www.egrmagazine.com/news/5885...facebook.thtml

If more Brits gambled than used facebook then we would be in a lot of trouble over here.

[quicksilver]

This article has taken a report by Nielson and twisted it somewhat. The actual report it is referring to, which came out last month, was that online gambling in the UK is growing faster than social networking sites like facebook.

http://www.egrmagazine.com/news/5885...facebook.thtml

If more Brits gambled than used facebook then we would be in a lot of trouble over here.

Well spotted. More people login to Facebook than gambling sites over here!

[TanyaEverest]

I just saw this yesterday. Gaming growing faster than social media is pretty surprising. In the U.S the two of them are growing alongside one another-with Zynga games on Facebook. It will be interesting to see if gaming and social media will align more with one another in the U.K in the coming year...

[davenewgates]

It's really surprising to see the number of online gambling users growing faster than Facebook users. Online gambling might also be catching up with Facebook.

[EugeneK]

guys, it's cool. UK rocks!

[chaosicq]

"This demographic surprises Neilson’s Neil Beston who observed that since the start of internet gambling in 1995, online gamblers had either had lower incomes or been nearing the end of their lifespans."

This does not surprise me at all, most people gamble when the chips are down and they want to try to improve there circumstances, as for figures well cannot say im convinced.

[davenewgates]

Online gambling has a lot of audience on both sides: whether they are at their fruitful youth ages or nearing the end of their lifespans, and whether they are desperately in need of income, or had too much money to burn.

[Notspot]

Doesn't surprise me one bit, I, like most of the ppl I know, have deleted myself from Facebook, most ppl I know have too. Privacy / copyright issues being one of the main reasons, but also it's starting to be seen as such a chavvy timesink. Maybe the British just aren't sociable enough at heart for it

[AdrienneJay]

Rising of online gambling are not only for men and women but also for teenagers nowadays upon the strict restrictions of the authorities. Well, we can't blame anyone because online gambling is really fun and exciting considering that you can win real money.

[hohi]

This is amazing...big numbers!

[JoeAdams]

I thought every people in this world are all into facebook. I never thought of anything where people would be too much deeply attached into more than facebook.

[hazo]

This repost is rubbish.

Yeah more people gamble than use Facebok... sure!